LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Social workers in the Deh Cho are in high demand with cases involving child protection being the most frequent.

Shaun Ouellette, the social work supervisor for Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority, says there's a high demand for services in the region. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

Shaun Ouellette said there's always a need for the seven social workers.

"It's a very steady work flow," said the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority social work supervisor.

That work increases when the authority is short-staffed. He said they are actively recruiting to fill vacancies.

He's one of the newly hired staff members having moved North from Windsor, Ont. in November.

March is national social work month and the authority wants to highlight the work that staff at the authority do and the services offered.

"The goal is to have a trusting working relationship with the community," he said.

Work days can include seeing children in care, filling out reams of paperwork and reviewing files. The authority covers several communities in the region so long days of travel to the smaller centres isn't uncommon.

On the day of the interview, a social worker went with a child to Yellowknife for an appointment.

In the territory, social workers must have a four-year degree in social work and must register with the territory.

The job largely deals with child protection. About 1,000 children across the territory receive care from social services. Ouellette declined to give a figure for just the Deh Cho.

Ouellette said there's a slew of new standards of care and rules are coming to the child welfare system on April 1.

The changes follow an auditor general report last year that found problems with the child protection system in the territory.

That report showed about 69 per cent of foster homes in the cases reviewed weren't properly screened. As well, nearly a third of cases auditors examined showed child protection workers weren't following up on reports of children at risk.

He said the changes will get everyone on the same page, providing a similar level of care across the territory.

Other components of the job include helping adults, advocating for people and linking them to other services in the community.

Advocating for someone could include making calls on someone's behalf or helping those who have low literacy levels. It could also mean helping someone fill out paperwork.

Though there's been a long standing social stigma around seeking assistance from a social worker, Ouellette said they're trying to break that down.

Reaching a social worker means dialing a phone.

"We have someone on call 24/7," he said. "We have to follow through on every call we get. We're mandated to follow through."

That's also the case in Fort Liard and Fort Providence.

"There's always someone available," he said.